Is the "Perfect" Male Really "Perfect"?

While reading The Stranger one of the things that was most prevalent to me was the way that Meursault acted around other people. He seems to be almost emotionless, and to be lead by reason but not desire. In his relationship with Marie he seems to only desire her sexually and not emotionally. For example when Meursault is on trial and Marie is testifying he doesn't describe how he feels emotionally away from her. He only describes how she looks. He states "Marie entered. He had put on a hat and she was still beautiful. But I liked her better with her hair loose. From where I was sitting, I could just make out the slight fullness of her breasts, and I recognized the little pout of her lower lip." Here he is only describing the way she looks physically and there is no emotion attached to that.

I think the way that Meursault is described is very similar to the way that a "typical" male is supposed to act. They are supposed to be emotionally detached and not show that they care really about anything. The woman is always supposed to follow the mans lead and do what he says. This is almost the relationship between Marie and Meursault.

This book almost exposes the faultiness of the "typical" man, and why one should not act like that. Emotion is important and relationships with emotion are essential to the human life.  Without emotion everything will fall apart. In the end I think this book helps the reader realize that being the "typical" version of a male is inevitably wrong and emotion is extremely important in human life.